Tool for applying seal caps



March 24, 1936.

J. w. SHVERA v v 2,034,776

TOOL FOR APPLYING SEAL CAPS Filed Dec. 4, 1933 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 March 24, 1936. J w SHERA 2,034,776

' TOOL FOR APPLYING SEAL cAPs Filed Dec. 4, 1933 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 March 24, 1936.

J. w. SHERA 2,034,776

TOOL FOR APPLYING SEAL CAPS Filed Dec. 4, 1933 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 J6 29 I 39 J6 42- 42 T I 5 J5 2Q 2Q 2 21 25 3] J6 23 30:? 32 x33 7] #7 H 26 M1 34 J7 A 29 22 0 Patented Mar. 24, 1936 PATENT omen TOOL FOR APPLYING SEAL CAPS V .lohn W. Shera,0hicago, Ill., assignor toAmerlcan Flange & Manufacturing Co. Inc., Chicago,

111., a corporation of Illinois Application December 4, 1933, Serial No. 700,800

. 8 Claims.

My invention relates to a sealing tool and it has to do especially with a tool for applying seal caps to closure structure. My invention is well suited, for example, for the securement of a seal cap over the outer beaded end of a flange which defines an opening in the wall of a container.

One of the objects of my invention is to provide an improved tool of the foregoing character.

Another object is to provide an improved tool which is adapted to grippingly engage the side wall or skirt of a seal cap and move the same inwardly against the beaded end of the flange in such a manner that radial movement of the tool causes axial movement of the cap and the cap is depressed upon the closure structure and its side wall or skirt is uniformly contracted against the flange behind the beaded end without distortion of the closure structure or container wall.

A further object is to provide an adjustable tool of the foregoing character which is so arranged that predetermined adjustment will be maintained and torsional, and other, strains and stresses imposed thereon and movement of the tool parts upon the closure structure will not cause change in the adjusted condition of the tool,

whereby eachsuccessive cap may be applied in substantially the same effective manner.

A more specific object is to provide a tool hav- I ing a supporting body or stem member which rotatably supports means for centering the tool upon the cap and means for grippingly engaging and contracting the cap sidewall or skirt upon a and behind the beaded end of the flange, and

which also adjustably supports handle structure and means actuated thereby for operating said gnppmg means.

Additional objectsare to provide positive stop means determining the limits of movement of tool operating handle structure; to provide novel means for positively locking the handling operating structure in predetermined adjusted position upon the supporting body member; and to provide a strong and durable tool embodying the foregoing features and which may be manufac 0 tured cheaply and may be easily and quickly repaired.

- Other objects and advantages will become apparent as this description progresses and by reference to the drawings wherein,-

r Figure 1 is an elevational view of one form of tool embodying my invention;

Fig. 2 is an assembly view of the central supporting body or stem member and the parts for mounting the handle operating structure there- 55 on, the several parts being shown in perspective;

Fig. 3 is an assembly view (the parts being shown in perspective) of parts of the jaw unit:

Fig. 4 is an enlarged vertical sectional view of the structure shown in Fig. 1, the tool being shown in position ready for securement of a cap;

Fig. 5 is a section taken substantially on line 5-5 of Fig. 4;

Fig. 6 is a view similar to Fig. 4 except looking in the opposite direction and showing the tool in the position it may assume after the seal cap 10 has been applied;

Fig. '7 is a section taken substantially on line 'l-l of Fig. 6; and

Fig. 8 is an enlarged fragmental sectional view showing the condition of the tool parts, the seal cap and other parts of the closure structure in the final sealing position of the tool.

The tool shown in the drawings is well adapted for applying seal caps to the filling and/or discharge openings of metallic containers used, for example, in the storing and shipping of gasoline, oil, and the like, products.

Referring to Figs. 4, 6 and 8, the container wall III is formed of comparatively thin material and it is provided with an opening surrounded by an outwardly-extending flange II in which there is mounted, in seal-tight fashion, an internally threaded bushing I! having its outer end turned over and upon the outer end of the flange II to form a bead I3. A plug (not shown) is usually 30 screwed into the bushing to primarilyclose and seal the opening. To further seal the opening and to prevent undetectable tampering with the closure, a seal cap [4 is mounted over the plug and headed end l3. It is highly desirable that 85 the seal cap [4 be applied without such pressure in axial direction as would tend to distort the container wall Ill and disturb the sealed relation between the bushing l2, flange H and other parts of the closure structure. My invention provides 40 an improved tool for applying the seal cap it in the manner stated.

Specifically, the tool which I have chosen to illustrate my invention includes a central supporting body or stem member I5, a jaw unit IS, a centering head or member l'l, handles l8 and a bellv shaped jaw-operating member IS.

The jaw unit l6 includes a. spider member having a hub 2| rotatably mounted upon the lower end of the supporting stem member l5. A, plurality of annularly arranged jaw members 22 are pivotally mounted upon pins 32 between the arms 23 of the spider, and the upper ends of the jaw members are provided with extensions 24 which are embraced by a spring ring 25 which yieldably swings the lower ends of the jaw members 22 outwardly and holds them in the open or expanded condition shown in Fig. 4. Each jaw member is of general wedge shape in outline and they have arcuate-outer surfaces so that the jaw unit-in its contracted or closed condition is of bell-like shape. The lower ends of the jaw members 22 are provided with inwardly extending jaw ele-. ments 23 which have jaw faces 23 adapted to grippingly engage the side wall 21 of the cap as the jaw unit is moved toward its contracted position of Fig. 6. The number and shape of the jaw members 22 are such that, when they are fully contracted, their jaw faces form a true and complete-circle (Fig. 7)

The lower end of the stem member II is pro vided with an enlarged head 23 and, between this head and the hub 2| of the jaw spider, there is rotatably mounted the inverted cup-shaped centering member H which is of such diameter that its lower edge or rim is adapted to seat upon the peripheral edge of the cap l4 when the tool is ap plied thereto (Fig. 4). The member ll together with the jaw elements 26 serve to position and center the tool upon the cap for proper engagement of the latter by the jaw elements 23. The jaw spider and member I l are rotatable upon and relative to each other and they are held against axial displacement along the stem member 15 by a spring ring 30 mounted in a suitably-provided groove 3i in the stem member II.

In the maintenance and upkeep of the tool, it is desirable to lubricate, from time to time, the pivotal support for the jaw member 22. To this end, passages 33 are provided in the hub .portions of the jaws leading to the pins 312. For access to the passages 33, the member I! is provided with an opening 34 in one side thereof and, upon inverting the tool and rotating the member II to align its opening 34 with the passage 33 in the jaw members 22, a lubricant may be applied to such passage in an obvious manner.

The jaw members 22 are contracted by downward movement of the bell-shaped member l3 which encloses such jaws and has its lower inner surface shaped complementally to the outer surface of the jaw members 22. The jaw members are expanded by the spring ring 25 when the member I9 is raised to release the same. The

jaw-operating member I9 is actuated by a pair of handles l8 in the manner which will now be described.

The upper end of the supporting stem I5 is threaded, as at 35, and a handle-supporting spider 36 is adjustably mounted thereupon. This spider includes an intemally-threaded hub portion 31 which is adapted to be screwed upon the threaded end of the stem, and it is also provided with diametrically opposed, spaced pairs of arms 38 between which the inner ends of the handles it are pivotally mounted upon pins 39. Each handle, below and slightly offset outwardly from the pins 39, is provided with an car 40 to the opposite sides of which there are pairs of links 42 and 42 pivotally connected by pins 4|. The other ends of the links of each pair are pivotally connected by pins 43 to diametrically opposed arms 44 on the top of the jaw-operating member I9. In the use of the foregoing arrangement, upward movement of the handles i8 raises the member l9 to permit expansion of the jaw members 22 and lowering of such handles moves the member l9 downwardly along the outer surfaces of handles II are limited in the following manner:

The handle cars 43 are extended inwardly toward the stem member I! to provide shoulders 43 which, when the handle is lowered to the position of Fig. 6, abut the under side of the handle spider hub 31. Further downward movement of the handle, and further contracting or closing movement of the jaws 22 is thereby prevented. To limit the other movement of the handle, one of the links 42 is provided with a centrally-disposed'projection 43 extending inwardly toward the stem member ii and it is so positioned and shaped that, as the desired upper limit of movement of the handles is reached, it seats against the under side of the adjacent handle supporting spider arm 33.

In the assembly of the several parts of the tool, they should be so related that, when the handles I3 are moved to their lower limit, the jaw memmember i5 permits of relative adjustment between the jaw-operating member I! and jaws 22 to accomplish this result, notwithstanding the usual allowances for variation in size and fitting in the manufacture of the several parts of the tool. That is, by adjusting the handle supporting spider 36 inwardly or outwardly along the stem member i5, the jaws can be made to close to greater or lesser extent.

In the proper operation of the tool, it is essential that, once the proper jaw closing adjustment be effected, it be maintained. To that end. I positively lock the handle supporting spider 33 to the stem member l5. Specifically, I employ a lock washer 41 (Figs. 1 and 2) having a plurality (preferably, but not necessarily, four) of arms 48 arranged in diametrically opposed pairs. The inner edge of this washer 31 is also provided with an inward projection 49 which, when the washer is placed over the outer end of the stem member i5 and upon the top of the handle spider 36, enters a longitudinal groove 50 in the stem preventing relative rotation of the washer. When the washer is thus applied, a lock nut 5i (which has a plurality of flat surfaces upon its outer part) is screwed upon the outer end of the stem member l5 and tightly against the washer 41. One of the diametrically opposed pairs of washer arms 48 is then turned upwardly against the adjacent flat sides of the nut 5| and the other washer arms 48 are turned downwardly between the handle spider arms 38, thereby positively locking the handle spider 36 against rotation relative to the stem member IS. The washer arms 48 which engage the lock nut prevent rotation of the latter so that spider 36 is fixed against axial displacement movement.

The general operating relationship between the foregoing tool structure, the cap l4 and bead i3 is similar to that disclosed in the co-pending'application of Fleck W. Sample, Serial No. 573,695 filed November 7, 1931. The seal cap [4 with a ring-type gasket 52 is mounted over the bead l3 'Fig. 4. In this position of the tool, the centering member I1 is seated upon the top of the cap and the jaw elements 26 assume a position wherein,

when they are moved radially inward, their work engaging faces 2B will grippingly engage the cap skirt near its free edge. This engagement is at a substantially uniform depth around the entire circumference of the cap skirt.

When the tool is actuated to contract the jawmembers 22. the cap side wall is first grippingly engaged by the work-eng sins' faces 26 of the jaw elements. As the handles l8 are moved apart, the cap skirt is moved inwardly against the head it slightly below the diameter of the latter; this relationship being determined by the fixed position between the lower or cap-e g edge of the centering member I! and the work-engaging faces I! of the jaw elements. As the contracting action of the tool is continued, and the jaw members 22 move radially inward, the gripped cap side wall is moved along the curved surface of head i3, thereby pulling down or depressing the cap ll substantially to the position shown in Fig. 6 with the lower edge of the cap side wall uniformlycontracted into close, snug fit engagement with the outer surface of the flange l2.

.Durlng this operation, the centering member l'l does not apply any substantial downward pressure to the top of the cap, any pressure eifect of such member being merely incidental to the weight of the tool and the pressure exerted by the operator in moving the handles IS in certain working positions in which the tool may be used. In the foregoing operation, the relationship of the parts is such that in cooperation with the bead IS, the radial movement of the tool is translated into axial movement. As the result, the sealing pressure applied through the tool is not sufiicient to distort the container wall and it does not affect the sealed relationship between the bushing l2 and flange II.

It will be appreciated that, in the foregoing operation, the tool is necessarily subjected to torsional, and other, strains and stresses. The jaw members 22 close in circumferential direction when they are simultaneously contracted, and there is a slight twisting action as they gradually and uniformly contract the skirt of the cap. There also may be a tendency for the operator in bri g the handles downwardly to tend to apply slight twisting action to the tool as a whole. It has been found in practice that, under these conditions, with the jaw unit l6 and the centering member il rigidly fixed to the stem or body member i 5 considerable pressure is applied to the member l5 tending to disturb the fixed connection between it and the handle spider 36. Under some conditions, the strain and pressure applied to the stem member l5 through the jaw unit l6 and the centering member I! may be such as to even shear or otherwise disturb a positive lock arrangement such as that afiorded by the lock washer 41. However, I completely avoid these strains and stresses upon the stem member,

-and thereby further positively insure maintenance of the fixed relation between the handle operating spider 36 and the member l5, by rotatably mounting the jaw unit I6 and the centering member I! upon the stem member l5 as hereinabove described. Any twisting movement or any tendency to apply twisting strains and stresses to the stem member i5 through theseparts, as

above stated, is entirely eliminated.

With the foregoing arrangement, the length of life of the tool is materially increased. Wear of the parts is materially reduced. The tool will perform its intended work uniformly, without attention, even in the hands of unskilled workmen, over long periods of time. In the event of wear of the cap-engaging surfaces i6 of the jaw elements 26, or of the slide-engaging surface between the bell-shaped member I! and the jaw members 22, the lock between the handle supporting spider l8 and the stem member ll may be released and the spider 38 adjusted so as to cause the jaws to close to the desired extent.

It will be understood that while I have shown and described only one formof structure embodying my invention. other changes in details and arrangement of parts may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of my invention as defined by the claims which follow.

I claim:

1. In a tool for applyingseal caps, a body member, tool centering means rotatably mounted on said body and fixed against longitudinal displacement, cap skirt contracting means rotatably mounted on said body and fixed against longitudinal displacement. reciprocable means for actuating said contracting means, and means for operating said reciprocable means which includes a member adjustably fixed to said body, handle means supported by said adjustable member, and connections between said reciprocable means, said handle means and said body member for reciprocating said reciprocable means within definite limits.

2. In a tool for applying seal caps, a body member, tool centering means rotatably mounted on the lower' end of said body and having a part adapted to seat upon the peripheral edge of the cap top, cap skirt contracting means rotatably mounted on said body above said centering means and having a cap skirt engaging part surround- 3. In a tool for applying seal caps, a central supporting member, a tool centering member adapted to seat upon the cap and rotatably mounted on said supporting member, a jaw unit rotatably mounted upon said supporting member and centering member and including a plurality of expansible and contraotible members adapted to engage the side wall of. the cap, means locking both said centering member and jaw unit against axial displacement to maintain a fixed axial relationship therebetween, means for expanding and contracting said jaw unit, ,and means for operating said first means which includes a member immovably carried by said supporting member, handle members carried by said immovable member, operating connections between said handle members and said expanding and contracting means, and means for limiting expansion and contraction movements of said expansible and contractible members.

4. In a tool for applying seal caps and having a supporting body, tool centering means on said body, and cap skirt contracting means 'on said body; means for operating said contracting means which includes a reciprocable member engageable with said contracting means, a handlesupport member on said body, a lock nut on said body primarily securing said handle-support member thereto, a handle supported by said haning body, means engageable with the cap skirt 'ment of said handle-support member to vary the positions of the limits of reciprocation 0! said reciprocable member.

5. In a tool for applying seal caps, a supporting body, means engageable with the cap skirt for contracting the latter, and means for operating said skirt contracting means which includes a re ciprocable member engageable with said contracting means, a member immovably mounted on said body above said contracting means, handles pivotally supported by said immovable member, link members connecting said handles and said reciprocable member, said handles being movable away from each other and toward each other to reciprocate said reciprocable member, and a stop element on one or said link members engageable with said immovable member as said handles are moved together to limit the extent of such movement.

6. In a tool for applying seal caps, a supportior contracting the latter, and means for operating said skirt contracting means which includes a reciprocable member engageable with said contracting means, a member immovably mounted on said body above said contracting means, handles pivotally supported by said immovable member, link members connecting said handles and said reciprocable member, said handles being movable away from each other and toward each other to reciprocate said reciprocable member, stop elements on said handles engageable with said immovable member assaid handles are moved apart to limit the extent or such movement, and a stop element on one or said link members engageable with said immovable-member as said handles are moved together to limit the extent of such movement.

7. In a tool imapplying seal caps, a supporting body,ajaw unitcarriedbysaidbody andhavlng a plurality of jaw members contractible to engage and secure the cap skirt, a member reciprocable upon said jaw unit for expansion and contraction oi. said jaw members, and means for reciprocating said reciprocable member which includes a member immovably carried by said body. handles movable in opposite directions to reciprocate said reciprocable member, link members connecting said handles and said reciprocable member, a stop element on at least one of said handles engageable with said immovable member for limiting downward reciprocation '01 said reciprocable member and extent of contraction of said jaw members, a stop element on one of said link members for limiting upward reciprocation of said reciprocable member. adjustable connection between said body and immovable member for varying the positionoi the lower limit of reciprocation of said reciprocable member to vary the extent of contraction oi said jaw members,

8. In a tool 01' the class described a supporting body, a jaw unit including a spider member mounted on said body, pins carried by said spider member, jaw members having hubs rotatably supported on said pins, said hubs having lubricating passages therein leading from the inner surfaces thereof to said pins, an inverted cup-shaped centering member rotatably mounted on said body and enclosed by said jaw members whereby said centering member normally obstructs access to said passages, said centering member having an opening in one side thereoilso that by rotating the same access may be had to said passages through said opening.

JOHN W. SHERA. 

